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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696235">What Sue Knew</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gezellig/pseuds/Gezellig'>Gezellig</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight Series - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Legends and Lore, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:53:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gezellig/pseuds/Gezellig</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sue knew the legends. She remembered seeing her Great-Uncle Levi phase as a small child. She and Harry lived with the knowledge that their son could phase if one of them ever came back to Forks. Sue had thought it would never happen. </p><p>She was wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to youtube, I got into Twilight about a month ago. In that month I've become very interested in the Wolfpack, their families, and their stories. Especially Sue Clearwater, all-around kick-ass woman- maybe because she's a nurse and I'm a nurse, or just her sheer awsomeness, who's to say.</p><p>Anyhow, please enjoy and feel to leave your thoughts in the comments- but keep it civil and polite please, months of short staffing and starting out as a nurse during a pandemic have done enought to my mental health as it is</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ER was bustling as normal, but Sue could feel something was different. Angie was out on the floor, instead of hiding in her office and actually involving herself in patient care. Dr.Wood, the interim Medical Director ever since Dr.Choi-Navarro left to go to Olympia, was snappish and had already made the two new techs cry. Around 0900 she could have sworn she saw the CNO rounding on their two floor holds, and she only came around when she absolutely had to-and the quarterly reviews had been last week.</p>
<p>She was helping Judith, Ben, Dr.Shah, and the residents intubate an 18-year-old trauma victim when the voice of Faye, the unit secretary, crackled over their headsets. “You’re needed at the desk, Sue,” Faye said in her sing-song voice that only herald doom.</p>
<p>“Little busy in the trauma bay, Faye,” Sue replied, quickly pulling up the Versed and passing it to Ben before grabbing a handful of flushes while Dr.Shah positioned the patient’s jaw. In the corner stood the poor kid’s mother, dressed in the same Dilley and Soloman uniform, looking shell-shocked as Emma narrated everything that was going on.</p>
<p>“The CEO is walking in Sue.” Faye’s voice snapped, the sing-song tone gone, “and Angie looks like she wants to down a bottle of Xanax.”</p>
<p>“Lovely.” Sue snapped, not bothering to tone down the snark in her voice. The last thing she needed was Dr.Wagner in her ER unnecessarily- not only did he have a clear lack of understanding of the realities of rural emergency medicine, but he also had a sliver of Suquamish on his great-grandmother's side that he thought excused every one of the Pocahontas related jokes he’d made to her since he took over six years ago.</p>
<p>“We got it from here, Sue.” Dr.Shah said without looking up from where he was adjusting the ventilator settings. They’d worked together for over 20 years, back when Sue was a new paramedic with big dreams and he was  a nervous resident from Seattle.”</p>
<p>She stepped back and exited the trauma bay, squeezing the mother’s shoulder as she passed the woman holding on to Emma as if the veteran paramedic was the only thing keeping her upright. “He’s in good hands.” She said as she passed, closing the curtain behind her.</p>
<p>She made her way back to the desk, plugging in one of the wayward EKG machines and sidestepping the EMTs who were rolling back a woman in active labor, taking a deep steadying breath as the balding head of Dr.Wagner came into view.</p>
<p>Angie was sitting in the charge chair, looking like she wanted to faint, as the unflappable Faye was taking phone report. Dr.Wagner, as usual, was looking out of place in his bespoke suit that probably cost more than what most of La Push made in a year, standing with the CNO and a tall man with golden hair.</p>
<p>Angie visibly sagged in relief as she saw Sue approach. “Sue!” she called out, and everyone turned, “Dr. Wagner wanted to introduce our new Medical Director, Dr.Cullen. He’ll be starting this Monday.”</p>
<p>As the newly introduced Dr.Cullen turned to face her, a warm smile on his face, it took every bit of self-control Sue had built up after close to 30 years in the ER to keep the horror off her face. He introduced himself and began talking, but Sue could only focus on one thing.</p>
<p>Dr.Cullen was pale- not your typical hóquat pale, but unnaturally pale. Bloodless, undead pale. His eyes were an unnatural golden yellow-brown that Sue only heard about from Great-Uncle Levi. He was supernaturally handsome, like some Greek or Roman god she had to learn about when getting her BSN. It was subtle, but his movements looked stiff like he had to remind himself to blink and gesticulate and move fluidly. She was sure that if she touched him, he’d be unnaturally cold. </p>
<p>The new medical director, her new superior was a vampire.</p>
<p>The Cold Ones were back.</p>
<p>Phasings would start soon and her Seth, 11 years old and just about to start the sixth grade, who loved superheroes, football, and fishing with Harry, had the potential to be one of them.</p>
<p>Fear, shock, horror, rage all coursed through her and it took everything Sue had to nod and choke out a civil greeting before ducking out at the earliest opportunity, braids slapping her back as she ducked through the doors to radiology and collapsed into one of the thankfully empty waiting room chairs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>⁂</p>
<p>Sue’s foot tapped a rapid staccato on the hospital linoleum as she waited for someone in the Black household to pick up the landline. She knew it was a long-shot, it was late, but she had gotten through the shift by the skin of her teeth, every instinct telling her to leave <em>now </em>, go home and notify the Council of the Cold One's return.</p>
<p>The ringing abruptly cut off as someone picked up the phone, “Black residence.” The sleepy voice of one of Billy’s twins, likely Rachel said, and Sue’s anxiety calmed ever so slightly.</p>
<p>“Dear, this is Sue Clearwater. Is your father awake?”</p>
<p>“Mrs. Clearwater? It’s like, 9:30. I think Dad’s asleep.”</p>
<p>“Could you please check and see? It’s urgent.”</p>
<p>Something in her tone must have worried the girl enough to go and wake Billy because, after a few moment’s silence, Billy’s gruff voice came over the phone. “Sue this better be good. Rachel woke me up saying you were in a panic.”</p>
<p>Sue sagged against the wall in relief. Even though Billy was undoubtedly annoyed at being woken up, he was there. She took a deep breath, “Billy they’re back.” She said in a hushed tone, as she was calling from the payphone outside the ER and anyone could be listening.</p>
<p>“I’m half-awake, Sue,” Billy’s voice, softened slightly by the panic in her tone, helped only somewhat, “Who’s back?”</p>
<p>“The Cold Ones,” she hissed, starting to spiral, “The ones who signed the treaty with Great-Uncle Levi, your grandfather, and Old Quil’s father. We need to a meeting of the elders, the council, the-”</p>
<p>“I’ll call a meeting of the elders tomorrow,” Billy interrupted calmly, “Everyone who’s aware of the truth will be there. I’ll talk to Aunt Susanah, she has the most space.”</p>
<p>“Not the Akalat?” Sue had been up for 15 hours at this point and combined with the additional stress of the day’s events, was dead on her feet. The Akalat had been the focal point of La Push life for decades and was where all the council meetings took place.</p>
<p>“Sue, Simon thinks the legends are just stories. We’re going to have to circumvent part of the Council for this-”</p>
<p>“I-” Sue knew Simon Quehpa’s opinions just as well as Billy, but even in her fugue-state, going behind the back of the Council chairman did not seem right.</p>
<p>“I know it’s not right to go behind the Council, but we can deal with that later,” Billy interrupted Sue before she could even finish her thought, “Right now, we need to prepare ourselves for the inevitable and we can fill Simon in later. You need to get back to Harry and the kids and get some sleep”</p>
<p>“I will,” Sue said, thankful for Billy Black and his decades of friendship, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Susannah Black lived in the oldest cedar house in La Push, and possibly the Pacific Northwest. Built by her father Joseph in the 1890s, its magnificent carved totems and lovingly maintained paintings were both a cultural treasure and an artistic masterpiece. Situated on the banks of the Quillayute River and shaded by ancient cedars, it had provided an escape for generations of the Black family.</p><p>And now it served as a clandestine meeting place to discuss the return of supernatural entities that once again would thrust their people into the world of myth and legend.</p><p>“Describe him again, please,” Susannah asked, holding a mug of tea in her hands, flanked on the small couch by Billy and her niece, Mary Black Uley. Having been a young woman during the time of the last phasings, she was a vital resource.</p><p>Harry gently squeezed her hand as Sue set down her mug, “He was a little over six feet tall, unnaturally pale, chin-length blonde hair, and had the gold eyes Great-Uncle Levi talked about. One of the new nurses called him Adonis, and more than one person stopped what they were doing to stare at him.”</p><p>Susannah had begun to worry her lip as Sue started speaking. She shuddered, Mary, placing a comforting hand on her leg, “Did he have an accent?” She asked, “He sounded like the ones that forced us into the Puyallup school.” Even after decades, she could never bring herself to say the school’s actual name.</p><p>Old Quil and Sue’s Uncles Charles and Douglas grumbled at the indirect mention of the residential schools, which they had mercifully avoided, but had a lasting impact on elders like Susannah and their parents.</p><p>Sue nodded, “He did have a British accent.” It was faint, and most definitely controlled, but unmistakable. She leaned into Harry, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. It seemed like years ago, instead of mere hours, when her most pressing worries had been about work drama and her children instead of supernatural creatures and their unavoidable impact on her tribe.</p><p>Joy cleared her throat, “So the creatures that force the phasings are back. What are we going to do about it?” she asked, ever pragmatic. Her steady calm and determination were some of the many reasons Sue cherished Joy and her friendship.</p><p>“Plan.” Old Quil grumbled in his typical deadpan</p><p>“Prepare,” Uncle Charles said at the same time.</p><p>The group sat in somber silence for a long moment. Sue knew how heavily it was weighing on Harry and Billy- if this had happened 20 years ago, they would have been the ones who could have phased. Harry didn’t speak of it much, always wanting to focus on the here and now instead of the what-could-have-beens, but she knew Billy had longed for the possibility as a teenager. Now the responsibility would be placed upon their children.</p><p>“Thank you for sharing, Auntie,” Mary said to Susannah, “and for hosting. Your knowledge is invaluable.”</p><p>Susannah smiled, her well-formed laugh lines crinkling as the other occupants of the room voiced their agreement. She had first-hand knowledge of the issue they had to deal with, something that was irreplaceable. “Anything for my people,” she said, her voice thick, “we need to be as prepared as possible for the return of the cold ones.”</p><p> </p><p>⁂</p><p> </p><p>They went late into the morning, hashing out the exact details (or as exact as possible) on what the return of the vampires meant. Old Quil’s passion for the legends came in handy, as he had nearly all of them memorized. Hours later, they had all the important information outlined:</p><p> </p><p>The Cold Ones were the initial trigger for the phasing, but the initial transformation happened in a moment of high anger or stress. The number of werewolves loosely corresponded with the number of nearby vampires; however many were needed to properly defend the land and protect the tribe.</p><p>That initial transformation would be heralded by several notable changes: increasing height, weight, and muscle mass; higher body temperature; intense mood swings and heightened negative emotions; increasing strength and appetite.</p><p>After, a newly phased shape-shifter would have very volatile emotions and difficulty controlling the ability to phase until they settled into the wolf. They were very protective of their people, but especially their blood family and fellow pack members. Putting a family member in danger was a near-instantaneous trigger to phase, regardless of how long someone has been a shapeshifter. </p><p>Nearly all werewolves were male. A handful of legends mentioned female werewolves, but they were fragmented and often vague, therefore somewhat unreliable.</p><p> (Susannah and Old Quil had gotten into what could politely be called an intense discussion over this. Susannah firmly stating she recalled stories from her Great-Aunt Felicity about an unnamed Black Matriarch who had phased and lead a pack in the 1700s, Old Quil determinedly stating this was merely one story with a handful of supportive fragments, compared with physical proof and many stories and legends of male werewolves. After Susannah threatened to kick him out, the discussion stopped and everyone else quietly tried to hide their shock and pick their jaws off the floor.)</p><p>Nearly all phasings happened before the age of 25. Exactly why, no one was sure.</p><p>The trait was passed through bloodlines, specifically Black, Uley, Ateara, and more recently, Clearwater. This meant the potential shapeshifters, excluding those who were female, numbered at 27; girls included, at Susannah insistence, the number jumped to 42.</p><p> </p><p>As the afternoon sun filtered through the windows, filling the front room with dappled sunlight, the mood of the room had changed. Fear and anxiety had shifted into resigned preparation and determination.</p><p>They had talked what felt like every legend to absolute pieces, went deeper into bloodlines that Sue had ever wanted to, and talked more about Susannah’s brother than Sue was sure the older woman had ever wished to. </p><p>A planned statement had been prepared to present to Simon Quehpa and the remaining council members had been crafted that, in Harry’s words, could convince even Bayaq of the truth behind the legends and what the return of a hóquat doctor to Forks meant for the tribe.</p><p>All they could do now was wait. </p><p>Sue didn’t like it, but she knew she could deal with that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For any of the wonderful folks who've happened to read my HP fics, I am desperately trying to find the inspiration/motivation to finish them. I'm deep in my Twilight fixation and don't know when I'll be leaving.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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